The Eameses are well known for their architecture, furniture design, industrial design, manufacturing and their photography. Charles Eames was born in 1907 and studied engineering and architecture. Charles later began to extend his design ideas beyond just architecture and he began to look at furniture as well as other design areas.
Ray Eames was born in 1912, she studied painting. After moving to Cranbrook Academy where she met Charles Ray began to focus on preparing designs for the ‘Museum of Modern Art’s’ organic furniture competition. Furniture was a common trait between Charles and Ray.
Eames won the competition with his molded Plywood chair. This was designed using complex curves. The use of molded Plywood became their signature design, which they were known for. During World War II the Eameses were asked to produce molded Plywood splints, stretchers and also gilder shells, which were only an experiment.
This splint was designed to be lightweight and cost efficient. This is a high functional design that could be mass-produced and it was also transportable. The Eameses perfected the technique of molded Plywood, which they had been working on for many years. This then became their most famous design technique and became a very influential design concept.
MOULDED PLY WOOD CHAIR
An architectural critic knew the molded plywood chair as ‘the chair of the century’. The chair was designed using molding technology for plywood, which the Eameses had discovered before the war. The production of the chair became delayed by design difficulties and also because of the World War II.
Charles and Ray designed two separate pieces for the seat, one being the Plywood spine and the other being the plywood legs. This created a smooth appearance, which consisted of curves. The design showed all the connections and the material was not hidden under any upholstery. To join the two pieces together they used rubber washers with bots embedded inside. This is how they joined the whole seat together and still allowed for the backrest to have some movement.
In 1949, Charles and Ray designed their home for a case study house program, which was sponsored by Art s& Architecture magazine. Their use of design and materials made their house be one of the most important post-war residences within the whole world.
This video below is a short overview of the Eameses and their design work.
Peta-Louise Krog 
This is so interesting! Plywood has become such an amazing material.
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